Ranjan K Baruah
Every child is important as they are the future resource for society and the world. There are many activities and events observed around the world related to children. One of the global events is World Children’s Day . It was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare. In India, 14 November is observed as the children’s day, so we should not have any confusion with the dates.
November 20th is an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since 1990, World Children’s Day also marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General Assembly adopted both the Declaration and the Convention on children’s rights.
Mothers and fathers, teachers, nurses and doctors, government leaders and civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls and media professionals, as well as young people and children themselves, can play an important part in making World Children’s Day relevant for their societies, communities and nations. The day offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.
If we want to work with children then we have different career options. It is important to ensure that no children are left out from their basic rights . Working with children can be a rewarding career pathway. For those passionate about working with kids, there are many jobs in various industries to consider, such as education, mental health, medical care, juvenile justice, etc. Opportunities are there for aspirants who would like to work with special children. Some of the career options include child psychotherapist, counselor, family support worker, youth worker, careers adviser, early years teacher, educational psychologist, learning mentor, primary school teacher, secondary school teacher, special educational needs teacher, teaching assistant, etc. These options are more associated with children whose [parents can afford to send them to different schools of their choice.
On the other hand we are also aware that there are many children who are not able to get all the rights and for whom more trained and qualified persons are needed. Social workers are one of the best options who specialize in the field of child rights. For an inclusive society to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, it is important that no children are deprived of any of the rights. These bring opportunity for aspirants to work in the development sector or with corporate who do activities under Corporate Social Responsibilities.
We are aware that In the aftermath of World War II, the plight of Europe’s children was grave, and a new agency created by the United Nations stepped in to provide food and clothing and health care to these children. In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the UN. Today, the agency works in more than 190 countries and territories, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. Aspirants may also work with organisations like UNICEF or similar organisations which are working for the rights of the children.